Urban Centre · Area profile
Launceston
95 km²
Far more residents in Launceston use a language other than English at home compared to other similar areas. This city of over 80,000 people is a major hub for the region, marked by a growing population and a noticeably younger age profile than the rest of Tasmania. It blends a high level of overseas migration with a strong tradition of English and Australian ancestry. The community is increasingly diverse and well-qualified, with a significant rise in university degrees since 2011.
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The typical resident is 39, making the area noticeably younger than the state average. While the population grew by 9.3% since 2011, the proportion of children under 15 fell slightly to 16.8%.
People born overseas make up 16.3% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. This diversity is reflected in the top birthplaces, which include Australia, England, Nepal, India and China.
Language diversity is high, with 10.8% of people using a language other than English at home—a figure that rose by 5.3 points since 2011. However, this is still far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half of the population (48.5%) report no religion, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant shift, with the number of non-religious residents rising by 21 points since 2011.
Launceston is much more qualified than most similar areas, with 22.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The number of people who completed Year 12 also rose by 9.6 points since 2011.
Typical household income is $1,322 a week, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. On the higher end, 13.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, a figure that rose 8.7 points since 2011.
Mental health conditions are much more common here than in most similar areas, affecting 11.8% of people. Overall, 33.6% of residents live with a long-term health condition.
Volunteering is a bit more common than the national figure at 16.2%. However, the number of people doing 15 or more hours of unpaid housework is much lower than in most similar areas.
One-parent families are more common here than in the rest of the state, making up 18.3% of households. About 31.6% of residents live alone, which is well above the national figure.
Renters are much more common here than in most similar areas, representing 33.5% of households. The area also has far fewer three-bedroom homes than the national average.
Public transport use for commuting is much higher than in most similar areas, though still lower than the state average. Around 7.7% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The area is very mobile, with 40.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much more common here than in most similar areas.
Most residents work in health care, social assistance or retail. The unemployment rate is 6.3%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.
Launceston is very walkable, with a score of 6.4 and far more homes within a 15-minute walk of parks and groceries than the state average. About 93.1% of homes are within 10 minutes of public transport.